Egg production, in avian such as chickens or turkeys has become a commercial industry. In a commercial hatchery, initially eggs are fertilized, either naturally, or through artificial insemination. The eggs often are then refrigerated until ready for incubation. The fertilized eggs are then harvested or conveyed and placed into an incubation chamber or device to promote the hatching of the eggs. In this manner the female avian continues laying additional eggs, or additional eggs are fertilized and environmental conditions can be controlled within the incubating device.
Incubation chambers essentially are entire environmentally controlled rooms sealed to the outside environment where large multi-trayed incubation devices are stored. In an attempt to promote and maximize hatchability environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and the like are controlled. Typically the temperature within the incubation chamber is controlled to be between 90°-105° F. and typically around 99° F. This is done in many manners known in the art including but not limited to use of a heater in conjunction with a fan to blow warm air evenly throughout an incubation chamber. The humidity is controlled to keep the relative humidity at least above 45%.
Controlling the heat within the incubation chambers can be managed by periodically during the incubation process rearranging trays within an incubating device to ensure even heating for all eggs within the system. In addition, heat within the room is even monitored to address the amount of heat produced by the embryos themselves as they develop.
Within some incubation chambers fan elements are provided along with temperature control units such as temperature regulating coils are utilized to heat and cool the environment. The temperature regulating coils present a conduit forming a plurality of parallel spaced apart radiating members having fluid flowing therethrough within the incubation chamber. The fan element is often a commercial fan having a plurality of blade elements of comparable height as an incubating device or multiple fan elements is/are positioned adjacent the temperature control units to convey the cooling air throughout the interior of the chamber.
Another feature of incubation chambers in the art is that they are designed to fit as many eggs as possible into each chamber with limited room for unused space. The incubation chambers are lined up in side by side relation with sealed doors closing each chamber. The incubating devices themselves are rolled into each chamber. Often a rail element is utilized at the side the chamber to help guide the incubation devices within the chamber and keep the incubation devices centered in the chamber to facilitate removal and to prevent the incubating devices from hitting auxiliary units within the incubation chamber such as the fan element or the temperature control unit.
In some incubation chambers the fan element and temperature control unit are located between two adjoined chambers in between the doors so that the fan and temperature control unit, control the airflow and heat within the two adjoined chambers. While the rail element prevents the incubating devices from running into these auxiliary devices within the chamber, very little room remains between the rail element and auxiliary devices.
In addition, cleanliness is extremely important in the incubation chamber. Upon removal of the incubation devices cleaning agents and high pressure water are utilized to clean all surfaces within the chamber.
Regarding the incubation devices themselves, there are multiple types of incubation devices. A first type is referred to as a setter that presents a frame with a plurality of trays that hold the eggs. The trays have openings therein of size and shape to receive an egg and there is no place for chicks from hatched eggs to be held. Setters are used only for incubating purposes and hold as many eggs as possible and present rotating trays where often a rotation frame that fits within the frame of the incubation device is utilized. The second type of incubation device is referred to as a hatcher. A hatcher also has trays with openings to receive eggs, but either the tray itself is a basket element that both holds the eggs and chicks when they hatch or alternatively a separate basket element is provided underneath the trays so as the eggs hatch they drop into the basket elements to hold the hatched chicks. The basket elements are perforated to allow continued air flow through the device.
Typically, eggs are first placed in a setter during a first incubation period of incubation and then transferred into a hatcher during a second incubation period or hatching period of incubation. The predetermined period of the first incubation period is dependent on egg type and for certain eggs, for example only, this is 15 days, for others 18. Similarly, the second incubation period is also dependent on egg type and typically is at least 48 hours or more. Alternatively, once the first incubation period within the incubation chamber is reached, the environmental conditions of the incubation chamber are altered during the second incubation period and eggs are not transferred and instead the incubation device has basket elements to hold the hatched chicks. Because of the size and shape of the basket elements more eggs can be placed into the setters making use of separate setters and hatchers advantageous. While setters and hatchers have been described, other incubating devices are contemplated by the disclosure.
In addition, the incubation devices are designed to further promote hatchability. In particular, the incubating device has a plurality of rotating trays that rotate the eggs periodically to +/−15°-30° of center (0°). The conditions on the eggs, including but not limited to the temperature, humidity and movement are controlled specifically to mimic conditions presented in nature and tested to determine the optimum conditions to promote hatching within the eggs.
The incubation device is also designed to maximize worker efficiencies. In particular, the incubation devices are open on at least one side and are designed so that the trays or alternatively the egg holders on the trays or basket elements can be slidably inserted and removed from the incubation device. In this manner eggs and/or chicks are quickly and efficiently inserted and removed from the incubation devices.
Typically light for the eggs is not used in such an environment, either in the incubation chamber or on the incubation device and eggs are incubated in darkness. Based on previous research the use of light in hatcheries has largely been discouraged. While the use of light has been seen as advantageous in certain instances, improper use of light has been shown to provide potentially negative results within a commercial hatchery.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,758 to Coleman, Coleman teaches introducing different colored lighting into an incubation device and Coleman examined the effect of the light on hatchability, hatch time and chick weight. Coleman was careful to warn that the exposure of the colored light on the egg needed to substantially take place over the period of buoyancy (first 9 days of incubation) and only directed through the air cell adjacent the broadened end of the egg to avoid deleterious effects otherwise occasioned because of internal heating of the egg. Thus Coleman utilized a fiber optic cable to concentrate light at this point. Coleman concluded that the period of illumination treatment should extend to about the third day to improve hatchability and to decrease hatching time lighting should occur during days 1-9 of incubation. Treatment during days 9-17 were seen as a manner in which to improve chick weight. Still, Coleman's fiber optic system is difficult to implement and full exposure of light on the egg was discouraged by Coleman causing complex design issues in a commercial setting.
Rozenboim, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,500, studied the use of monochromatic green light on eggs in an incubating device and determined the light simply had no effect on fertility or hatchability during trials compared to darkness. As indicated in the '500 patent this was consistent with incandescent white light that showed no effect on hatchability on turkey eggs. Consequently, lighting typically is not used in the hatching process because lighting devices tend to produce significant amounts of heat that must be accounted for in the controlled hatching environment and in order to protect the incubated eggs, complex lighting systems where needed. Thus eggs are incubated in darkness throughout the industry.